GAME ONE BOX SCORE | GAME TWO BOX SCORE
LA MIRADA, Calif. --- Katie Gustaveson tossed a two-hit shutout in game one to key No. 21 Biola to a 6-0, 4-0 sweep over No. 10 Concordia in a GSAC doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Freedom Field in La Mirada.
Biola improves to 14-6 on the season and 2-4 in GSAC play. Concordia falls to 20-7 and are tied with Biola in the conference at 2-4.
Biola struck early to stake Gustaveson to an early lead in game one, scoring once in the first and three times in the second.
With runners at second and third and one down in the bottom of the first, Biola got its first run as the Concordia leftfielder dropped a fly ball. Biola added another on an RBI groundout by Kacie Lyding.
In the second, Amerra Kesterson doubled home Morgan Facchini with the second of four hits in game one, then scored on a two-run home run by Lindsay Nuckolls.
Biola got an insurance run in the bottom of the fourth as Krista Johnson scored on another dropped fly ball by the Concordia leftfielder.
However, Gustaveson would need just one run today, as she pitched masterfully, allowing just two hits and retiring the last 11 batters in the game. She stuck out seven and walked two and ran her record to 7-4 on the season.
Gustaveson has been spectacular in her last six outings. She has surrendered just six earned runs on 19 hits over her last 39 innings with five runs and eight hits coming in a loss to No. 1 Cal Baptist.
Biola opened the scoring in game two with a pair of runs in the third inning. Brittany Bury led the inning off with a bunt single, stole second, then after Nuckolls was hit by a pitch, scored on a pair of wild pitches by Concordia starter Natalie Brown. Nuckolls, who had advanced to third on the wild pitches, scored on a long double to right-centerfield by Johnson.
While Emily Gray kept Concordia off the board, CUI had a number of chances with a baserunner reaching in each inning. However, Gray worked out of jam after jam to keep Biola up.
Tatiana Garcia relieved Gray in the sixth inning and had to work out of yet another jam. After back-to-back singles and a stolen base put runners at the corners for Concordia, Brown hit what looked to be a deep sacrifice fly to center. However, Kesterson threw an absolute dart to Facchini, who tagged the runner out for an inning-ending doubleplay.
Biola added a pair of unearned, insurance runs in the sixth as Facchini dropve home Johnson and Keena Levert with an RBI-single.
Gray picked up the win to improve to 5-2 on the season while Garcia earned her third save.
Kesterson finished the day going 5-for-7 including a 4-for-4 showing in the first game. Nuckolls was 2-for-3 in game one, but was walked and hit by a pitch twice in game two and didn't record an official at bat.
Lavert, who has been playing much better after a tough start to the season, was 3-for-5 on the day.
Biola returns to action on Tuesday (Mar. 20) for a GSAC doubleheader at Azusa Pacific which will start at 4:00 p.m.
